Category: Philosophy
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How Can the Concept of Embodiment and Intersubjectivity Be Understood in Sartre and Merleau-Ponty?
Introduction In the Göttingen lectures of 1907, particularly Ding und Raum (Thing and Space), Edmund Husserl delved into the relationship between the lived body and the phenomena of space and time as they are experienced, in conjunction with related discussions on sensuous perception, memory, fantasy and time consciousness, which pioneered a phenomenological tradition that went…
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(Review) The A Priori: Merleau-Ponty’s ‘New Definition’
Shahid, S. (2022). ‘The A Priori: Merleau-Ponty’s ‘New Definition’’, International Journal of Philosophical Studies, 30(4), pp. 399-419. Available at: 10.1080/09672559.2022.2108102. Introduction Sidra Shahid begins her article by quoting Merleau-Ponty in his magnum opus, Phenomenology of Perception, on his claim of having pronounced a ‘new definition of the a priori’ [p. 399]. She then swiftly introduces the reader…
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The Perceptual Field of Being-in-the-world
In the previous post (Yes or No: Is There an External World?), we are introduced to Heidegger’s notion of Being-in-the-world and have succinctly exhibited the significance of ‘world’ and its constitution. In this post, we shall further clarify the extent of the phenomenality of Being-in-the-world and seek to understand the world of perception as revealed…
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Yes or No: Is There an External World?
As the title suggests, as of recent, I was pressured into giving a categorical answer to what I deem to be a false dichotomy, for reasons that I shall elaborate later. The question was raised by an acquaintance who grew frustrated with my responses when there was an exchange of metaphysical views between us, which…
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Breath by Breath
Being in the world, this world, is an undeniable reality for each and every one of us. For without it, I wouldn’t be writing; nor you, reading; or anybody else who potentially comes across this essay (no matter how remotely). Each of us living, having lived; breathing, having breathed. Thinking and tinkering about the days…
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Philosophical Traditions of the East
Truth be told, I had planned to write about the major differences between Eastern and Western philosophy until I realised from my own reading of Indian philosophy and existentialism that there are no unifying essences in either case (Eastern or Western). Of course, there have always been major differences in characteristics between Eastern and Western…
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Why CBT Should Not Be the ‘Gold Standard’ of Psychotherapy
CBT is the abbreviation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, which is widely considered the McNuggets of the psychotherapeutic industry. To start, I would say that I am personally not a hater of CBT, nor do I have any vendetta against it. As an avid philosophy reader, I find the fundamental principles of CBT to be largely…
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Is Science Really the Successful Sibling of Philosophy?
“Stop this nonsense, let’s talk science.” “Philosophy? I read science.” Such were the words of a senior colleague of mine in response to me answering his question: “what do you read?”. To be very fair, I am quite a tight-lipped person myself, especially at the workplace, and I knew that I’d given him a cold…
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Why You Can’t Live Without Philosophy Even If You Don’t Care About It.
In today’s blog post, I will talk about my unqualified opinion on what philosophy is and attempt to describe the influences that it has on our lives. What is Philosophy? The word ‘philosophy’ originates from the Greek word φιλοσοφία (filosofia), which combines the word ‘philo’ meaning ‘to love’ and ‘sophia’ meaning ‘wisdom’, thus meaning ‘love…
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Rewriting the Significance of Your Being
1. The Problem of Anxiety Red pill, blue pill? Such were the options that Neo received from Morpheus in the hugely acclaimed film The Matrix, as Neo grew bothered with the irregularities that he recently noticed in his life. Taking the blue pill is promised to instantly relieve him of all anxieties, after which he…